0
Newguest Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
Fight rear-guard action/penurious exile
Hi
One woman was looking for another woman who suddenly disappeared from the village they lived in together. She found out that now she lives in Macebury Street.
Macebury Street had a familiar look. It was akin to the
one in which Miss Mayfield and Janet had had their flatlet
in Alchester; a street fighting a rear-guard action, not
against fish and chips, but against the throwing of the
paper into the gutter; a street clinging desperately to
some remnant of respectability: Exactly the place, Miss
Mayfield thought, halting by number 44, that Emily
Baines, in sudden and penurious exile, would look for –
and be lucky to find.
I understand that people living at that street fought against not those who wanted to have shops with fish and chips but against those who threw papers into gutters?
I take it to mean that no one respected that street? (clinging desperately to some remnant of respectability)
Does "in penurious exile" mean that she left her previous home without any money on her?
One woman was looking for another woman who suddenly disappeared from the village they lived in together. She found out that now she lives in Macebury Street.
Macebury Street had a familiar look. It was akin to the
one in which Miss Mayfield and Janet had had their flatlet
in Alchester; a street fighting a rear-guard action, not
against fish and chips, but against the throwing of the
paper into the gutter; a street clinging desperately to
some remnant of respectability: Exactly the place, Miss
Mayfield thought, halting by number 44, that Emily
Baines, in sudden and penurious exile, would look for –
and be lucky to find.
I understand that people living at that street fought against not those who wanted to have shops with fish and chips but against those who threw papers into gutters?
I take it to mean that no one respected that street? (clinging desperately to some remnant of respectability)
Does "in penurious exile" mean that she left her previous home without any money on her?
Top answer
Well I don't know the exact context, so I could be wrong, but I think the idea is that the street has already succumbed to an element of seediness: the fish and chip shops are already present, it's too late to stop them, now the area is just trying to maintain vestiges of respectability by not having the papers from the food thrown in the gutter. The idea is that fish and chip shops make an place seem a bit cheap and dirty, but the residents have accepted this fact, and at least don't want wrappers thrown down. It's a bit of a tricky concept though - the street is personified, so it's not really the residents fighting this battle.
- Well I don't know the exact context, so I could be wrong, but I think the idea is that the street has already succumbed to an element of seediness: the fish and chip shops are already present, it's too late to stop them, now the area is just trying to maintain vestiges of respectability by not having the papers from the food thrown in the gutter.
- The idea is that fish and chip shops make an place seem a bit cheap and dirty, but the residents have accepted this fact, and at least don't want wrappers thrown down.
- It's a bit of a tricky concept though - the street is personified, so it's not really the residents fighting this battle.
- There seems a lack of respect for the street, at least from outsiders if not residents.
- "Penurious exile" means penniless eile.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
Well I don't know the exact context, so I could be wrong, but I think the idea is that the street has already succumbed to an element of seediness: the fish and chip shops are already present, it's too late to stop them, now the area is just trying to maintain vestiges of respectability by not having the papers from the food thrown in the gutter. The idea is that fish and chip shops make an place
00
Related Questions